For to touch the bloom of youth Spoils its frail complexion; Let the young grape gently grow Till it reach perfection; Hope within my heart doth glow Of the girl's affection. Sweet above all sweets that are 'Tis to play with Phyllis; For her thoughts are white as snow, In her heart no ill is; And the kisses that she gives Sweeter are than lilies. Love leads after him the gods Bound in pliant traces; Harsh and stubborn hearts he bends, Breaks with blows of maces; Nay, the unicorn is tamed By a girl's embraces. Love leads after him the gods, Jupiter with Juno; To his waxen measure treads Masterful Neptune O! Pluto stern to souls below Melts to this one tune O! Whatsoe'er the rest may do, Let us then be playing: Take the pastime that is due While we're yet a-Maying; I am young and young are you; 'Tis the time for playing. Up to this time, the happiness of love returned and satisfied has been portrayed. The following lyric exhibits a lover pining at a distance, soothing his soul with song, and indulging in visions of happiness beyond his grasp--εἰδώλοις κάλλευς κῶφα χλιαινόμενος, as Meleager phrased it on a similar occasion. LOVE LONGINGS. No. 38. With song I seek my fate to cheer, As doth the swan when death draws near; Youth's roses from my cheeks retire, My heart is worn with fond desire. Since care and woe increase and grow, while light burns low, Poor wretch I die! Heigho! I die, poor wretch I die! Constrained to love, unloved; such luck have I! If she could love me whom I love, I would not then exchange with Jove: Ah! might I clasp her once, and drain Her lips as thirsty flowers drink rain! With death to meet, his welcome greet, from life retreat, I were full fain! Heigho! full fain, I were full fain, Could I such joy, such wealth of pleasure gain! When I bethought me of her breast, Those hills of snow my fancy pressed; Longing to touch them with my hand, Love's laws I then did understand. Rose of the south, blooms on her mouth; I felt love's drouth That mouth to kiss! Heigho! to kiss, that mouth to kiss! Lost in day-dreams and vain desires of bliss. The next is the indignant repudiation by a lover of the calumny that he has proved unfaithful to his mistress. The strongly marked double rhymes of the original add peculiar vehemence to his protestations; while the abundance of cheap mythological allusions is emphatically Goliardic. THE LOVER'S VOW. No. 39. False the tongue and foul with slander, Poisonous treacherous tongue of pander, Tongue the hangman's knife should sever, Tongue in flames to burn for ever;